Sword Art Online: Shell of a Girl
by rachelledafluffykitty
Summary: She's been alienated all her life. Now, she has been pulled into the Death Game to face new challenges and experiences. What will happen when this Shell of a Girl meets a certain blunette? Follows Aincrad arc. KiriKo x Sinon because there aren't enough!


A/N: Hey guys! This is a story I just wrote for my English class that's supposed to follow The Heroes Journey. I thought I'd post it on here so more people can enjoy it. I'll post a longer version later. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Sword Art Online: Shell of a Girl

November 6, 2022

She woke up to the birds singing, and the city humming. Cursing the sun shining directly in her face, she groggily sat up and stretched her arms, yawning with a "Nya". She got about of bed and walked downstairs to get breakfast. Her mother was in the kitchen.

"Good morning Kimiko. Sleep well?" Midori said.

"Good morning Okaa-san. I slept well, but woke up thanks to the cat." Kimiko replied.

Her sister Suguha was sitting at the table staring aimlessly at the vase of flowers on the table. Kimiko came up with some cereal and sat across the table. Her sister said good morning to her, and she replied. They were both tired, as they were not morning people.

"Oh yeah, isn't that game your so excited about is releasing today?" Suguha asked

Her eyes lit up and a huge smile spread across her face. "Oh yeah, I can't wait for the release! I've been beta testing that game for weeks. Now's the real deal!" she said and pumped her fist in the air enthusiastically.

"Well it looks like someone's finally awake. Sugu, you'd better get ready for school. Don't forget that you have a test today." Their mother teased.

Now the youngest sister was wide awake.

Kimiko didn't have school today, so she was ready and waiting for the release of the new game. It was a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Role Playing Game, or VRMMORPG. The game simulated all five senses and quite literally takes the player into another world.

Young Kimiko Kiragaya, a third-year in middle school, rushed up the stairs to take a shower and get dressed, and then she brushed her long, black locks of hair. As she entered the room, she waited for the clock to turn from 12:59 to 13:00- the official release date.

"All right here we go!" she said excitedly.

She powered up the device and made sure it was plugged in, along with the internet cable, then put the NerveGear helmet on and lay down on her bed.

"Link Start!"

With those two words, the device opened the game and her vision was net with a flurry of colors before some text appeared on the screen saying 'Welcome to Sword Art Online!'. She logged in with her username and password and selected her avatar. It was male, had short black hair and was a good foot taller than her. She decided to use it instead of creating a new one.

The game took place in a giant floating iron castle called Aincrad. It measure 14 kilometers in length and double that in height.

Logged in to the game, she decided to do some farming and try getting stronger equipment

* * *

After about an hour of leveling, Kimiko ran into a young man trying to kill some low level monsters. He was tall and had long red hair, reaching his shoulders. He had armor with a similar color to his hair. After some pondering, she decided to go over and help him out.

"Oi, having trouble?" she asked.

"Yeah, I can't seem to kill the monsters." He stated sheepishly.

"Ok, well I can help you if you want."

"That'd be great! But I have to log out at 17:00 because I ordered pizza."

"Ok, there are special combat movements that you can use called Sword Skills that are assisted by the game system." Kimiko explained.

"How do I use one?"

"You have to make a «Pre Motion». Once the system recognizes the skill, it will activate the skill. Try it.

The man raised his sword and it began to glow brightly. He then charged at a «Frenzy Boar». His sword sliced it completely in half and then the boar shattered into hundreds of bright polygons and disappeared.

"Alright I did it!" He shouted excitedly.

"Good job, now keep trying and you get a better weapon and armor." Kimiko said.

"Ok, oh by the way, my name is Klein. What's yours?" Klein asked.

"Mine's Kiriko" Kimiko responded. They had usernames that are called In Game Names or IGN.

"Ok, well I had better get going. The pizza will be coming soon."

"Ok, I'll see you around. Kiriko said. She waved and turned around but stopped when Klein said something strange.

"Kiriko, how do we log out?" Klein asked.

"Well, since the NerveGrear intercepts our brain's signals and uses them to move our avatars, there is a log out button on the menu." Kiriko explained.

"I see". He took two fingers and swiped down to open the virtual menu and navigated to the logout button.

"See, you just tap this bu-…" It was blank.

"That's strange. It should say 'Log Out' right here. Well, it's probably a bug. They'll probably fix it later. Or someone can just take the NerveGear off of us. " Kiriko said.

"The problem is I live alone." Klein said.

"I live with my mom and sister." Kiriko's shoulders were grabbed as he started shaking her.

"Your sister, is she cute?" Klein asked. Kiriko punched him in an… area and he went flying.

"Ouch, that hurt!"

"By the way, you can't feel pain in the game." Kiriko deadpanned.

"Oh… right."

All of a sudden, Klein's body was enveloped in a light blue shine. He then disappeared. The same thing happened to Kiriko. When the shine disappeared, she found out she was in the «Starting City». More and more players kept appearing. She knew something wasn't right.

"That's strange, it's an emergency teleport." Kiriko said in a worried tone. She was standing a few feet away from Klein.

Suddenly red polygons that said 'warning' started coming over the sky. Then a blood-like liquid oozed out of the polygons and formed a person in a red cloak.

"Hello players. I am the Game Master and creator, Kayaba Akihiko." The person said in a deep demonic sounding voice.

'Oh wow' Kiriko thought. Kayaba had made many technologic advances and cad created «Sword Art Online».

"As you have noticed, there is a blank button where the logout button should be. This is not a bug. This is a feature of «Sword Art Online»." Kayaba said. It sent chills up Kiriko's spine. "To be able to leave this game, you must clear all one hundred levels and defeat the boss on each floor."

'That's impossible! The beta testers only made it to the fifteenth floor.' Kiriko thought angrily.

Kayaba continued, "Also, when your HP reaches zero, and your avatar dies, you will die in real life. The NerveGear will send a microwave signal, destroying your brain, and ending your life. The same thing will happen if someone In Real Life (IRL) tries to remove it from your head. Unfortunately, two hundred players have already lost their lives. Finally, check you inventories. I left a present for you."

Kiriko checked her inventory and found a new item called «Hand Mirror». When she tapped on it a small mirror materialized in her hand. Other players were doing the same. They were being enveloped in a blue light. When it disappeared, the player's avatar would look different. This happened to Kiriko. When she looked in the mirror, she was shocked to see a short girl with long, black hair and black irises. She was looking at what she looked like IRL.

"My goal when I created this game was to create a world I could intervene in and control elements of. This concludes the tutorial for «Sword Art Online». Good luck players, and stay alive." Kayaba concluded and disappeared along with the red polygons.

"Oi Kiriko, where are you?" Klein shouted. They both started looking for each other. Standing in Klein's place was a guy with short reddish hair and a bandana around his head. He had some stubble on his chin.

When the met eyes, there was a simultaneous "Klein" "Kiriko". They both nodded their heads.

"But… you're a girl!"

"Yeah… sorry about that" Kiriko said and looked down embarrassed.

In the few seconds after Kayaba disappeared, you could have heard a pin drop anywhere in the entire city. Then, it erupted in chaos. Players were running everywhere, scrambling frantically to get better gear or find a way out of the game. Kiriko grabbed Klein by the arm and ran to an alley.

"The low level mobs are going to be hunted clean so we need to go to the next city." Kiriko said.

Klein looked down with a sad look. "I would come, but I have friends that logged in too so I need to meet up with them. We'll probably start a guild."

"That's… ok." Kiriko said. She was disheartened that Klein wouldn't be coming. But she knew that she'd be fine. She was used to being alone. Her entire school alienated her and constantly bullied her. She never made any friends except her sister. It didn't bother her at all. Maybe now that she was in this game she could try to meet some people. So she turned and started off towards «Horunka».

"By the way Kiriko, your new avatar looks cute." Klein said smiling.

"T-thanks. Yours looks better with that short hair." Kiriko replied.

"See you later. I'll message you if I need anything."

Kiriko started running again. When she turned around, the alley was empty. So she charged into the first floor field and started down the path to the next town. A «Dire Wolf» was coming at her in the opposite direction. She was too frustrated to care. She used a «Sword Skill» and sliced it in half. 'This can't be happening. We have to clear the game!' Kiriko thought angrily. She kept sprinting.

Meanwhile, back in the «Starting City» a girl with short blue-green hair was hiding in a corner crying. She had managed to keep calm and collected for a while but after the chaos started she hid, trying to figure out what to do from here. Maybe she could join a guild?

* * *

Floor 11, April 8, 2023

It was a sunny day, if you want to call it that. The breeze was blowing gently. It was amazing how realistic the world was, and how Kayaba created it. Even though it was virtual, it seemed like the real world. Kiriko sat under a tree, napping under the shade it provided. She didn't like the light, but she liked how it seemed to make people more energetic. After about an hour of rest, she got up and yawned.

"Nyaa~… I should go check out that labyrinth to the north. I bet I could do some serious EXP grinding in there!" Kiriko said to herself as she got up and stretched, only to have a fruit from the tree she was sitting under fall on her head.

'Grah! What was that for?' she thought bitterly as she kicked the trunk. More fruit fell. This continued for another five minutes until she remembered her prime directive and made way to the labyrinth.

On the way there she passed through a small village. It looked similar to early German villages, with cobblestone paths and peculiarly constructed buildings. It wasn't long before she noticed a familiar face, well, figure leaning up against a wall. The person was wearing a cloak that hid most of their face. The only noticeable feature was their cat-like whiskers on their cheeks.

"What're you doing here, Argo?" Kiriko asked, jogging up to the cloaked figure.

"Collecting information and making money, as usual. What about you Kiriko?" Argo responded.

"I'm going to a labyrinth to map it out and see if I can level up some more" Kiriko said.

"I see. I have to get going. I need to meet with a friend later. See ya." Argo said and waved.

Kiriko waved and continued her way to the labyrinth. When she arrived, she was met with a large mountain. It had a Greek style entrance in the side, and pillars surrounding it. She sighed and pushed the huge stone door open. It was three or four times her height, but slowly slid open granting the young girl access. She immediately set to work, investigating the premises for traps and elite monsters that could kill someone if they were poorly equipped or skilled. Gradually making her way lower and deeper, she heard some shouting.

'Hmm, seems that I'm not the first one here. Maybe they have map data.' Kiriko thought.

She walked towards the shouting, growing concerned when it got louder and seemingly more desperate. She started to jog. When she arrived, she could only describe the scene as-

"What a mess…" She said. There was a group of about 5 or 6 players fighting a group of mid-level monsters. The one closest, who seemed to be the tank, was taking multiple hits. Two more were trying to lay hits but were having considerable difficulty. There were four boys and two girls. One girl had short black hair and blue armor. She had a sword and shield and was looked very scared. The other was a bow user, and had short, light blue hair. Her bangs were in clips and on either side of her face her hair was tied in two black hairclips. She had armor that was a military green color and a black pleated skirt. She looks calm and collected but there were signs that the events around her were making her nervous.

Kiriko didn't think twice about what to do. She quickly drew her sword and started slashing away. She didn't show the monsters mercy. She was twice the level as them, so in five minutes she had the mobs down about ten monsters. In that time the forward in the group of players was able to recover. Kiriko, and the group, managed to kill all the monsters without any players dying.

"Thanks… We were in a jam back there" one boy with dark brown hair said.

"It's nothing. Are you all ok?" Kiriko asked.

"Yeah, we're ok. If it hadn't been for you we would probably be dead. Thanks again for helping us." A boy with dark blonde hair said. He was wearing a grey hat and his armor matched his hair.

"Tell you what. Why don't you join our guild? I'm the leader, Keita, and these are my guild members." Keita said. He had short, brown hair and armor that had shoulder plates, and a chest plate. The rest was red and dark brown.

"I'll think about it…" Kiriko said. She had not been in a guild yet and was somewhat nervous about joining. Her mind flashed back to her school life, and how she was alienated a lot. Her social skills weren't that well, so she'd have to think about it.

"Well for now let's head back to headquarters. It's at the ale house in «Taft». Want to come?" The boy with yellow hair asked.

"I guess so. By the way, my name is Kiriko." Kiriko introduced herself.

"My name is Sasamaru. I'm a damage dealer. This is Sachi, a damage dealer, Tetsuo, a tank, Sinon, a damage dealer, Ducker, a treasure hunter, and Keita, our leader." Sasamaru said.

"Pleased to meet you" Kiriko said. She shook hands with the guys.

"H-hi, I'm Sachi." Sachi nervously shook Kiriko's hand. She was the girl with black hair and light blue armor.

'She's cute' Kiriko thought to herself.

Next was the mysterious green-haired girl. She seemed to be studying Kiriko, which made her a bit nervous.

"I'm Sinon." She said and stuck her hand out. Kiriko shook it.

'She's beautiful.' Kiriko thought. She blushed and looked away. This didn't go unnoticed.

"Are you feeling ok?" Sinon asked.

"Y-yeah I'm fine" Kiriko said.

"Oi, does Kiriko have a crush?" Tetsuo said with a mischievous grin.

"S-shut up" Kiriko blushed deep red and turned around. Sinon blushed and hit Tetsuo on the head.

"Oi, Oi." She said.

"All right, let's get going. It's getting late." Keita said

They left the labyrinth and started going to «Taft», a small town on the same floor. When they got there, it was around nightfall. The city looked like a southern European city. The houses were built closely together, and the streets were all stone. Far away from the main street was a drain running under a bridge running away from the city.

The Inn that was their headquarters was a cozy Inn at the southwest part of the city. It had two stories, and was sitting next to a red brick building.

"So do you want to join our guild Kiriko?" Keita asked.

"Yeah I guess so" Kiriko said. She was attracted to the warm atmosphere.

A window popped up in front of her saying 'Would you like to join the guild «Moonlit Black Cats»?' She tapped yes and was now a member. Later on, they brought out drinks and celebrated their new member joining.

"So Kiriko, what level are you? We're all around the 20's." Ducker asked.

"I'm level 25." Kiriko lied. She was actually level 40 and didn't want to be accused of being a 'Beater'.

After an hour of random conversations, and antics from Tetsuo, the guild decided it was time to retire to bed. Kiriko was offered a room at the Inn and accepted it. Later that night, she was sleeping when she heard her room door opening and closing and a tap on her shoulder.

"Kiriko-san?" a girl's voice whispered.

She rolled over to see who was talking to her. It was Sinon. She looked rather distressed.

"What's up?"

"I had a nightmare… can I sleep with you?"

"Sure" Kiriko opened the covers to let the girl in. She found it odd that Sinon would come to her for comfort after just knowing her for not even a day. She decided to ask her.

"Because I feel secure around you. I've had nightmares every single night since this Death Game started. I've been scare of dying this whole time, but near you I feel secure. My problems seem to go away." Kiriko was shocked to hear this. All her life nobody had ever said anything like that. She had never had any friends, let alone someone looking up to her.

Kiriko didn't notice but since they were in such a close proximity Sinon could she her HP bar, and her level. Sinon was surprised to see her level double that of herself, but chose not to say anything.

They both fell asleep later, and Sinon had good dreams.

* * *

Floor 30, June 22, 2023

The «Moonlit Black Cats» guild was fighting on the frontlines with other guilds, working to clear the game. Kiriko and Sinon had been growing closer, along with the rest of the guild. Around 17:00 they decided to go into a Labyrinth to get some more experience. They had also heard a rumor from Argo that there was a monster that dropped a rare item. Keita had left to the «Starting City» because they had finally acquired enough money to get a home for the guild. He was going to get one. Everything was going well until they reached the 27th floor.

17:45

"Hey look at that!" Ducker said. He pointed to an empty room that had a treasure chest sitting in the middle. He immediately ran into the room.

" _Don't go in there! It's a trap!"_ Kiriko screamed but it was too late. The whole guild had run in the room minus Kiriko and Sinon.

"Stay out here Sinon!" Kiriko said sternly. She had no choice but to enter too. As soon as Ducker opened the treasure chest the room lit in a red and was locked down. Doors on all four corners opened and monsters started flooding out. They had triggered the trap.

"Try the teleport crystals!" Sasamaru said while trying to hold off a «Dark Dwarf Miner»

"They don't work! This is an anti-crystal area!" Tetsuo said.

Everyone was panicking. Kiriko was swinging her sword left and right, desperately trying to kill the monster and protect the others. One by one the players started shattering into bright blue polygons. Sasamaru, Sachi and Kiriko were the only ones left. Sachi was deeply afraid of death and was pinned in a corner blocking three monsters at once.

"Sachi! I'll distract them and you run to the other side, got it?" Kiriko shouted.

"G-got it!"

Kiriko started frantically slashing and swinging with all her might. The monsters started herding towards her. It helped that Kiriko had a «Provoke» skill. Sachi took the opportunity to sprint to the other corner, but just as she reached the corner, a «Mineral Elemental» spawned and dealt a fatal blow to Sachi's side.

" _Sachi!"_ Kiriko screamed. But it was too late. Sachi mouthed the words 'thank you' and 'goodbye' before her avatar shattered into bright blue polygons.

'No… this isn't happening. I will _not_ let them win' she thought furiously.

Kiriko lost her temper. She used every «Sword Skill» she had. One-shotting them, they finally stopped spawning.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sinon, who had stayed outside the trap, was faced with a decision. She could stay her and give her guild mates healing potions when they came out, or she could go try to find other players to help them. She decided on the latter. Unfortunately, the members of «Moonlit Black Cats» were the only players in the Labyrinth at the time. When she returned she was met with the stone door to the trap opening, and Kiriko slumped on the floor crying.

"Kiriko… where are the others? Sinon asked worriedly.

"They…" Kiriko couldn't finish her sentence and went into a fit of sobs.

Later on, the two left the Labyrinth and went back to the guild's headquarters. They still had to teleport to the «Starting City» and deliver Keita the news. Kiriko decided to go.

After teleporting to the city on Floor 1, she met Keita in a tavern. He looked joyful.

"Hey Kiriko! I found a nice house on floor 30 for only 20,000 Col! Isn't that great?" Keita said excitedly.

"Keita…" his face soured. Something happened. "Ducker… set off a trap in the Labyrinth… all of us minus you and Sinon were trapped in a room with re-spawning monsters. I was the only on that made it out because of my level." Kiriko said sadly. Tears were streaming down her face.

"Kiriko…" Keita was shocked. He couldn't believe they were all gone.

"What is your level?" he inquired. "Be honest."

"I'm level 40. I lied so you guys wouldn't call me a Beater." Kiriko replied.

"Why? Why did you _lie_ to us? You jerk!" Kieta said furiously and ran out of the tavern. Kiriko followed suit.

"Keita, I really tried to protect them! I told them it was a trap!" Kiriko yelled.

"I don't care! He snapped back. Keita rain to the edge of Floor 1 and get ready to jump.

"Keita, don't!"

"Damn you, Beater!" Keita shouted as he jumped off the first floor of the floating castle Aincrad, falling into the endless sky.

That was it for Kiriko. She started running. She didn't know or care where she went. But the young swordswoman knew one thing. She would never join a guild again. Kiriko would be a solo player.

The months passed, and Kiriko still blamed herself for the death of her guild mates. Kiriko had acquired a very unique skill called «Dual Blades». It allowed her to wield two swords at once. In January of 2024, she got the sword «Elucidator» from a rare drop. It was powerful, heavy, black, and had a special design near the hilt. Now she was faced with a new challenge. She needed to get another sword as powerful as this one for her «Dual Blades» skill.

'Oh well, it'll come when it's time I guess.' Kiriko thought. She continued leveling.

* * *

Floor 51, April 22, 2024

The young swordswoman was sleeping under a tree in «Danac», a rural village. It looked similar to rural Switzerland, having grassy plains dotted with windmills. She was awoken from her slumber by rather agitated voice.

"Why are you out here sleeping when there is clearing to be done? The Labyrinth needs mapping too!" the voice scolded.

Kiriko grumbled, rolled over, and opened her eyes to see a girl. She had chestnut colored hair and was wearing white armor that showed her shoulders with a red skirt. Part of her hair was braided and tied back while the rest fell to her waist.

"I'm tired, and everyone needs a break now and then. Besides, you should try it. It feels really good down here." Kiriko replied, now sitting up.

"Whatever." The chestnut-haired girl decided to sit next to her despite the scolding she had just given.

Later that day, after falling asleep again, Kiriko awoke and sat up. The sun was setting and the sky was a beautiful golden color with shades of pink and purple dotting it. She was at awe that someone like Kayaba could create something so beautiful in a virtual world.

"Geez, I didn't expect her to actually try it." She said as she looked over to the sleeping chestnut-haired girl to her right.

"Well, I'd better stay here since she could get attacked." Kiriko climbed up onto a rock wall and sat down.

"Ke-chyu" the girl sneezed. She said up with drool still on her lip and grass stuck to her face.

"Good morning." Kiriko said in a playful tone.

The girl scowled and grabbed her rapier, ready to cut Kiriko a new one. The blackette dived behind the wall.

"One meal…"

"…Eh?"

"I will treat you to one meal for guarding me." The girl said.

"Ok. We should get going before it gets dark." Kiriko wasn't scared of the dark, in fact she loved it. She was scared of what was _in_ the dark.

"Ok, I know a café in town. My name is Asuna. What is yours?" Asuna queried.

"Kiriko."

"Oh so you're the 'Black Swordswoman' I've heard of."

"I guess so. Am I really that popular?"

They went into town and ordered a nice meal. The duo sat for about an hour sharing information about elements of the game and whatnot.

"Kiriko, are you in a guild" Asuna asked.

Kiriko winced at the subject of guilds being brought up. "No."

"You should join mine. It's called «Knights of the Blood»."

"No thanks. Do you know where I could get a sword as strong as this one?" Kiriko, changing the subject, pulled her «Elucidator» sword out and handed it to Asuna.

"It's heavy!" Asuna exclaimed as she almost dropped it. "I know a blacksmith on Floor 48. She might be able to help."

"Ok, I'll meet you tomorrow morning and we'll go." Kiriko said.

She didn't want to do it, but this was a chance to get a sword so why not?

* * *

The next morning, Kiriko was waiting in town for Asuna. She finally came through the teleport gate half an hour late.

"Sorry, I was stuck in a dungeon." Asuna said while catching her breath.

"Let's get going." Kiriko said and walked into the teleport gate with Asuna.

"Teleport: «Lindarth»." They said in unison. A blue light enveloped them as the duo left.

When they arrived at «Lindarth», Kiriko was moderately surprised. She had temporary residence here and had her armor tailored here. There were many canals and waterwheels, along with support-class shops where players could run shops that sold supportive goods to other players. They soon arrived at a small house with a waterwheel. Inside, there were weapons hanging on the wall and in glass display cases. A girl with shoulder length pink hair wearing something similar to a red maid uniform was just coming out of the back room.

"Hey, Lisbeth." Asuna said

"Hey, Asuna." Lisbeth replied.

"I have a customer for you." Asuna said and motioned Kiriko to come over.

"Um…" she pulled out «Elucidator» "Do you have any swords as powerful as this one?"

"This thing is heavy!" Lisbeth exclaimed as she too almost dropped it.

Lisbeth looked at the sword's stats and concluded that she didn't have one, but could forge one. Kiriko thanked her and asked her to go ahead and do it.

The next day Lisbeth produced an aqua colored one-handed sword. It had a hilt exactly perpendicular to the grip and looked like two of conjoined daggers. The blade was straight and had a diamond shaped protrusion at the tip. Its name was «Dark Repulser». Kiriko picked it up and swung it around a bit.

"It's a good weapon. Thank you." Kiriko said and paid the pinkette for forging it.

After they left, Asuna brought up a request.

"Since I helped you with your new sword why don't you join my guild?" Asuna said

Kiriko let a long sigh. "Well, ok, but only since you helped me." She accepted the 'guild request'.

"Why don't you like to join parties or guilds Kiriko?" Asuna asked sternly.

"Because other players just slow me down." Kiriko said flatly. She couldn't bring herself to relive the memories.

"Well… whatever you say. After all you are a solo player. Let's go to the KOB headquarters and get a uniform for you. My Armor is the KOB uniform." Asuna said.

Kiriko sighed again. 'Why white?' she thought.

"The KOB headquarters is on the 55th floor in «Granzam». I'm the second in command."

They entered the teleport gate. "Teleport: «Granzam»."

They arrived in the city at around noon. «Granzam» was known as the 'Steel City' because of its buildings consisting of steel towers and a large number of blacksmiths. It was a very industrialized city.

The KOB headquarters was a giant steel tower with silver spears hoisting the guild's flags up over the entrance. Kiriko was at awe at the large scale the building presented. When they reached the leader's office there was a middle aged man wearing heavy steel armor that was colored red. He had a sword and shield, the shield being as tall as Kiriko herself.

"Hello, Asuna. What brings you here today?" the man said.

"Hello, Heathcliff. I have a new member of the guild. She needs a new uniform." Asuna replied.

"Very well, and your name young lady?" Heathcliff turned towards the blackette.

"I'm Kiriko." she said. Something felt odd about this man. It was the way he looked at her.

After getting Kiriko's new uniform-which she was not impressed with, Heathcliff had some guards set her up with living accommodations. Comfortable with her quarters, she decided to visit the dining area to get a bite to eat. There, she met someone she never expected to see again.

"Si…non..?" Kiriko said in shock. There was Sinon, clad in KOB red and white, sitting alone at a table.

Sinon looked up at the mention of her name. The two girls locked eyes for about a minute. Then Sinon got up and came towards Kiriko.

"We need to talk…" she said as she grabbed her sleeve and walked into a back room.

When they got in the room the blunette proceeded to break down in tears while hugging Kiriko.

"You jerk. Why did you leave? I was all alone…" she said while sobbing.

"I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't stand to see any more of my friends of guild mates die."

"It wasn't your fault! It just happened. You can't blame yourself for what happened. I saw your level when I slept with you all those nights. I don't know why you lied but I'm sure you had good reason."

Kiriko looked at her wide-eyed. She was surprised Sinon wasn't mad at her. She didn't want to tell Sinon why she lied but she decided that it was for the best.

"Well…" Kiriko began, sighing "The reason is because I didn't want to be accused of being a Beater. During the first floor boss fight we lost our leader because he didn't know about an attack it used. I knew about it and tried to stop him. After the fight, everyone blamed it on the Beta Testers and called them cheaters. I stood up and told them that the other Beta Testers were nothing compared to me. I took the blame of all 800 beta testers. They combined the words Beta Tester and Cheater to form Beater, and it stuck."

"Kiriko…" Sinon felt horrible for the girl. "It's still not your fault. You did what you thought was right. I know you did everything you could to protect our guild. Look at the bright side, I'm still here." She smiled at the last part.

They heard an announcement being made that there was going to be a raid in a Labyrinth in a half hour so the two girls decided to part ways.

"I'll meet you at your room. We still have things to talk about." Sinon said. They hugged and went to meet up with the raid party.

That night Kiriko was sitting in her room. She had cleaned it and put her personal belongings in it. It was 20:09 and Sinon would arrive soon. She heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." Sinon walked in.

"You know… I've missed you Kiriko. The nightmares came back and I had no one to talk to." Sinon said.

"I missed you too. Being a solo player has its downfalls. I'm used to it though. IRL, I was constantly alienated at school. People were always bullying me and doing hurtful things. I was hoping I could make some friends in this game." Kiriko said.

"Why did they tease you?" Sinon asked. Kiriko winced at the question. Did she really have to tell?

"Tell me." Sinon looked dead in her eyes.

"I…. I… um…" Kiriko didn't have the words to tell her. She improvised, and leaned toward Sinon. She then kissed the blunette and leaned back.

"I see..." Sinon said. She was blushing furiously. "That's okay Kiriko. It's okay to like girls. In fact… I like you." Sinon said and looked back up and the blackette.

"Sinon… I.. I like you too." And they both leaned in and kissed. They stayed this way for about 2 minutes then pulled away for air.

"So can I stay with you tonight?" Sinon asked. Kiriko nodded her head.

That night Sinon's nightmares ended.

* * *

Floor 75. November 7th, 2024

Kiriko and Sinon's relationship progressed. They eventually got in-game married and bought a Player Home on Floor 22. This morning, they reported to «Granzam» after taking leave. They were now going with a raid party to fight the 75th floor boss. The duo was happy because when they clear this floor they will only have 25 more floors to go. Then they will be free.

"Are you nervous?" Sinon asked. They were holding hands and in route to the boss room.

"It's about the same as usual." Kiriko replied, but tightened her grip on her girlfriend's hand.

There were about twenty players in total, some from the Knights of the Blood, some from other guilds.

"All right guys, this is it." Heathcliff said. He was in charge of the raid.

What stood behind him were two stone doors stretching about twenty meters in the air. He pushed one of the doors open and players followed. When everyone was inside the doors slammed shut with a thud.

"That's strange. Where's the boss at?" Kiriko said. Everyone was looking around. The boss was nowhere to be found.

"Ah…" Sinon said as she pointed up. There, on the ceiling, was a sight only describable as truly horrifying. The boss was a skeleton, and took the form of a centipede. Its head was a skull that was shaped like a bean with two arms, each with a scythe blade at their end.

"«The Skull Reaper»" Kiriko muttered.

"Ready?" Kiriko asked. Sinon was shaking but gave a firm nod.

 _"Charge!"_ Heathcliff yelled and battle ensued.

Kiriko began by striking at its legs but was kicked back and flew about 5 meters. The boss swiped at the main group with its right arm and landed a direct hit, killing 5 players. Sinon switched back and forth between a bow and a Long Sword. The boss swiped its left arm at her but she blocked it. Asuna saw Sinon struggling to block it so she ran over to assist. Heathcliff was using his sword and shield to defend two other players. «The Skull Reaper» landed a direct hit on his shield right as Kiriko looked at him. What she saw confused and scared her. Above his head flashed a purple polygon that said «Immortal Object». She decided to question it later and rejoined the raid group.

The battle continued for 30 minutes until the boss was defeated. 14 players died. Working as a team, Asuna, Sinon, and Kiriko all managed to land critical hits. Now that they were done, Kiriko had an issue in the back of her mind to take care of.

"Heathcliff" she said, gesturing to the man.

"Yes?"

"Could you explain the «Immortal Object» icon that appeared when your HP level was below half?" she asked. Heathcliff smiled.

"Only the Game Masters can be Immortal." she continued.

Heathcliff sighed. "Yes, young lady, I am a Game Master. Or should I say _the_ Game Master. Yes, I am Kayaba Akihiko. And if I may add, I am the game's final boss, who would have awaited you at the top floor." Heathcliff said. The group gasped and glared at him.

"Damn you!" one KOB leader shouted and charged at him. Heathcliff, using his administrative powers, paralyzed all the players in the room except Kiriko and himself.

"So will you kill everyone to cover your identity?"

"No. That wouldn't be fair to everyone, as they would never clear the game. I shall await you at the Ruby Palace, on the 100th floor. But, as a reward for revealing my identity early, I offer you a one-on-one duel. If you win, the game is cleared. If you lose, you will die. I predicted that you, Kiriko, would be the player who would defeat me. That is why you are the only player who has the «Dual Wield» skill. So do we have a deal?" he concluded.

"Don't do it Kiriko!" Sinon pleaded. "Let's fall back and fight him later!"

Kiriko took a shaky breath. She remembered all players she had witnessed dying. She checked her inventory. She had numerous healing potions, but was only looking for one. The potion would revive a player if they drank it within 30 seconds of dying. She had 10 of those. A window came up in front of her. It read 'Would you accept this duel request?' She accepted it, and the 10 second countdown began.

"Very well, I will remove my Skill Assist and Immortal status and lower my HP level to match yours." Heathcliff readied his «Holy Sword» and «Liberator» shield.

The duel began. Kiriko charged at him with all her might, sending «Dark Repulser» flying at him. He blocked it with his sword. She used «Duel Wield» and swung with «Elucidator». This fierce battle continued at an extreme speed for a while.

"Asuna… do you think she'll win?" Sinon asked.

"I honestly don't know. They're both at the same skill level" Asuna said.

"I feel bad for her. She has the responsibility of the entire game on her shoulders right now."

"Well, let's hope she wins."

Kiriko shoved «Dark Repulser» forward and activated the skill «The Eclipse». He blocked it with his shield, breaking the triangulated tip of the sword off. «Dark Repulser» was broken. This did not stop Kiriko. But while she was in post-motion delay, Heathcliff was ready to deliver the final blow. As she began to look up, she saw him swing down, just as Sinon ran in front of her. Sinon blocked the blow with her own body and fell into Kiriko's arms.

"I'm… sorry." Sinon said. "I believe in you, Kiriko-chan..." and her body shattered into bright polygons, leaving only her Long Sword in Kiriko's arms. Kiriko just stared, absolutely mortified by the turn of events. She swung with little effort at Heathcliff, which he easily blocked. He stabbed his sword completely through her abdomen and sent «Elucidator» flying. Kiriko watched her HP deplete. It got lower… and lower… and lower… until it reached zero. Her vision went black and a red polygon that said 'You're Dead' appeared.

'I believe in you, Kiriko-chan.' Sinon's words flashed through her head. Her vision returned. Her body was blurry, almost like a hologram.

'This isn't a duel... We're fighting to kill. That's right. I'm going to kill him!' she thought. She looked up at Heathcliff. His expression was indifferent. He was surprised at the turn of events, as it was impossible to neutralize the paralysis by herself.

Kiriko rammed Sinon's sword through his body, killing him. Heathcliff smiled as his and Kiriko's bodies shattered in thousands of polygons. The final boss of Sword Art Online was defeated.

"As of 14:55, November 7, the game has been cleared."

Kiriko opened her eyes to the sky outside Aincrad. She was apparently standing on an invisible platform. She opened her interface, but it said 'Final Phase 55%' instead of the menu.

"Kiriko." It was Sinon. She cleared the game before she died.

"Sinon!" she ran and hugged the bluenette, who hugged back. "I'm sorry for dying and not getting you back to the real world." They went to the edge of the platform and sat, legs hanging over the edge. They hugged and kissed and Aincrad began to destroy itself. They saw their in game house, as well as many other locations fall.

"Congratulations." A man's voice said behind them. It was Kayaba Akihiko in his real life appearance.

"Sword Art Online is deleting its mainframe data. All of Aincrad will be gone in 10 minutes. 6,147 players were successfully logged out of the game, but the other 3,853 players who died are gone forever." Kayaba said.

"Why did you do this?" Kiriko asked.

"Why, you say? It was my dream to create a floating castle that surpassed all laws and restrictions. I wanted to create a world that I could intervene in." Kayaba said.

"Congratulations on clearing Sword Art Online, Sinon, Kiriko." And with that Kayaba Akihiko disappeared into thin air.

"I will meet you in real life, so let's tell each other our names" Kiriko said "Mine is Kimiko Kiragaya"

"Mine is Shino Asada" Sinon replied.

Kiriko began crying. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring you back to the real world."

"It's okay Kiriko. Meeting you and living with you were the happiest moments in my life. I love you" Sinon said.

As Aincrad entered its final deletion stage, their avatars faded along with it.

* * *

She opened her eyes to see lights. Then she saw a ceiling and windows to her right. She reached up and toughed her head to find a NerveGear helmet on her head.

This was reality. This was the real world.

She remembered Sinon, which brought tears to her eyes, as well as life. She took the NerveGear off her head and grabbed the IV drip stand next to her bed. Thanks to the EMS electrodes, she could immediately stand up, though shakily. She called for a nurse and left the room calling Sinon's name.

* * *

Kimiko had exchanged important information about SAO for the whereabouts of Shino. As soon as possible, she traveled to that location. After entering the hospital, she asked what room Shino Asada was in. A nurse led her to a room. Kimiko knocked twice and walked in. There was a single bed, with a curtain drawn around it. She pulled the curtain back revealing Sinon, with black hair and eyes. Her hair was the same as in the game, just a different color.

"Sinon…" Kimiko burst into tears and hugged the girl. The girl hugged her back, crying as well.

A few weeks later, Shino was able to walk. Both girls had started dating, and were attending SAO Survivor School. The school was set up just for survivors of the Death Game. The two girls were sitting on a bench during lunch break one day.

"So what do we do now, Kiriko" Sinon asked.

"Have you ever heard of ALfheim Online?"


End file.
